Safety-valve for safes.



W. H. RITCHIE. SAFETY VALVE FOR SAFES.

APPLICATION FILED P111124, 1914.

1,129,016. Patented Feb.16, 1915.

WILLIAM H. RITCHIE, OF PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK.

SAFETY-VALVE FOR SAFES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,775.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. RITCHIE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Patehogue, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Valves for Safes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a safety valve for a safe and has for its object the production of an automatic valve which is adapted to allow the gas to escape from the interior of the safe, thereby preventing the same from being blown open.

The principal object of this invention is the production of a simple and efiicient guard for the valve member, this guard being so formed as to prevent unauthorized tampering with the valve member and at the same time allow burnt gases to escape from the safe.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a central vertical section taken through the safe showing the improved safety valve carried thereby. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the valveplug, showing the valve-stem in elevation. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the spring-supporting member.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates the usual safe having a bottom 2. This bottom 2 is provided with an enlarged opening 3 communicating with the interior of the safe 1 by means of the reduced passage 4. This enlarged opening 3 is provided at its upper portion with the conical socket 5 as clearly disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. A lining 6 is carried within the opening 3 and passage 4 and is provided with a conical portion 7 fitting within the conical socket 5 for constituting a valveseat. A spring-supporting body 8, having a central opening 9, is carried within the passage 4 by means of the laterally-extending fingers 10. The valve-stem 11 is adapted to be slidably mounted within the opening 9 of the body 8, and is provided at its lower portion with threads 12 for carrying the valve-plug 13. This valve-plug 13 comprises a hollow metallic casing, having slanting sides 14, for allowing same to fit snugly upon the valve-seat 7, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The lower side of this valve-plug 13 is provided with an opening 15 for allowing a fire-proof substance, such as clay 16, to be positioned within the interior of the valve-plug. A screw-plug 17 may then be threaded into the opening 15, thereby retaining the clay 16 within the plug. A coil spring 18 is placed about the stem 11 so as to be positioned around the body 8 and bear upon the lateral fingers 10. The upper end of this spring bears upon the washer 19 carried by the shaft 11 and this washer 19 is held in position by means of a transverse key 20 passing through the upper end of the valve-stem 11. It will be noted that this key is provided with laterally bent ends 21 for retaining the same and preventing the washer 19 from becoming accidentally disengaged from the stem 11.

From this construction, it will be seen that should a quantity of explosive be positioned within the safe at the time the explosion takes place the burnt gases will pass downwardly through opening 4 formed in the bottom 2 of the safe and will come into engagement with the upper side of the valve-plug 13. Since this valve-plug is held in a closed position by means of the coil spring 18, the pressure will cause the plug to move downwardly, thereby depressing the spring 18. As soon as this valve-plug 13 has moved from engagement with the valveseat 7 the burnt gases may pass around the side portions thereof and escape, thereby preventing the safe from being blown open. As soon as the gases have escaped from the interior of the safe, the tension of the spring 18 will cause the valve-plug 13 to move upwardly and rest upon the side of the valve seat 7, thereby closing the opening in the bottom 2. It will also be seen that the valveplug 13 is hoilow and provided with fireproof clay 16 and therefore the entrance to the interior of the safe will be efficiently closed, thus preventing damage to the contents thereof in case of fire.

For the purpose of guarding the lower portionv of the valve-plug and preventing the gaining of access thereto the lower portion of the casing 6 is threaded at 22 for the reception of the threaded rib 23 01" the guard cap 24. This guard cap is provided with a plurality of apertures 25 which are adapted to allow burnt gases to easily pass therethrough. The cap 24 is also provided adjacent the threaded rib 23 with a lateral flange 26, upon which are formed a plurality of integral lugs 27. Each lug 27 is provided with an opening 28 through which an attaching bolt 29 is adapted to pass so as to engage the bottom 2 of the safe, adjacent the pocket 3 for fixedly holding the guard cap 24 in engagement therewith. If, however, it is desired to repair the valve-plug 13 the bolts 29 may first be removed and then the cap may be removed from engagement with the casing 6 by rotating the same so as to allow the threaded portions to become disengaged. By referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noticed that the cap 2% is provided with a concaved body-portion for allowing the reduced guard plate 30 .to be placed therein. This guard plate 30 is provided with downwardly-curved ribs 31 at spaced intervals upon its side portion, thereby holding the same at a spaced distance from the interior of the cap 24: so as to allow the gases to pass freely through the apertures 25. Since this guard plate 30 is reduced, the gas may easily pass around the side portions thereof. This guard plate 30 is used for the purpose of preventing a foreign object being passed upwardly through the apertures 25 so as to engage the plug 13 and prevent the same from free operation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a simple and efficient safety valve has been produced which will, at all times, be held in such position as to freely operate to allow the burnt gases to escape from the interior of the safe which is normally held in such position as to prevent damage by fire to the contents of the safe, while the lower portion of the device is provided with means for preventing the unauthorized tampering with or access to the valve-plug.

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described the combination of a casing, said casing provided with an internally threaded lower portion, a valve member yieldably supported within said casing, a guard cap having a concave body positioned upon the lower portion of said casing, said cap provided with a threaded annular rib, said rib engaging the threaded portion of said casing, an annular flange formed upon said cap, lugs extending from said flange, said lugs adapted to carry securing means for engaging a support for holding the cap against rotation, said cap provided with a plurality of apertures, a guard plate carried by said cap, downwardly curved ribs formed upon the outer periphery of said plate, said ribs resting upon said cap for holding the body portion of said plate at a spaced distance from the concaved body of said cap, whereby exhausted gases after passing said valve may pass around said plate and be exhausted through the apertures of said cap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. RITCHIE.

Witnesses JOHN E. WINES, CHARLES C. CAVE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C." 

